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An $8 million four-year programme to strengthen Māori and Pasifika communities; support for anyone who loses a family member to suicide and a pilot programme supporting small communities losing a major industry or employer are among 30 initiatives in the new national suicide prevention plan launched by Associate Minister of Health Peter Dunne today.

‘Every suicide is a tragedy, and our suicide rate is unacceptably high, particularly among Maori.

Suicide occurs in all races and ethnicities so lets spend our tax payer money helping all New Zealanders with the issue – equally.

“This must change and the launch of this plan today is an important next step in trying to achieve that,” Mr Dunne said.

He said the fact that 30 specific actions in the New Zealand Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2013 to 2016 involve eight government agencies highlights the reality that suicide is complex and requires a range of solutions.

“And those solutions almost always require people and organisations working together,” he said.

Mr Dunne said the suicide toll at around 500 was often compared to the road toll, at around 300.

“But in a sense that comparison actually highlights the issue with suicide – ‘make it click’, ‘slow down’ and ‘don’t drink and drive’ go a long way to reducing the road toll. The answers for suicide are far more complex, and this plan is another important step in dealing with such complex realities.

“However, plans, on their own, do not save lives. There are no easy answers. But people working together, with good resources, focus and with a good plan underpinning that work give us hope of making real progress,” he said.

“Some of the plan’s initiatives focus on strengthening or expanding existing programmes, including further training and support for frontline staff in contact with people who may be at risk of suicide. Others are new initiatives that we plan to trial.

‘We are going to boost support initiatives that give families, whānau and communities the tools they need to respond to people who are struggling or who have lost a friend or loved one to suicide. We are also strengthening support for vulnerable communities, including responding to suicide contagion or clusters,” Mr Dunne said.

The new plan also introduces new approaches, including a partnership with the Health Quality and Safety Commission to get better knowledge of contributing factors and patterns of suicidal behaviour in New Zealand.

“Currently little is known about risk factors, trends and situations specific to people who end their lives by suicide. These actions will lead to better sharing of suicide data and monitoring of risk factors.”

Growing use of technology is also reflected in the plan through a small social media pilot around suicide prevention and increasing information on tackling cyber-bullying.

Suicide is a serious concern for New Zealand. Around 500 New Zealanders die by suicide every year; an average of 10 deaths each week. Suicide affects the lives of many others – families, whānau, friends, colleagues, and communities.

Whanau is the maori word for ‘family’. So saying, as in the paragraph above, and more below, “families, whanau,….” is typical PC nonsense.

We already have a suicide prevention action plan. Why do we need another one?

It is important to regularly review approaches to suicide prevention and take into account new research and evidence, along with changes in society. The previous action plan came to an end in 2012 and this new plan builds on the progress and investment that has been made in the last four years.

Initiatives introduced and implemented under the previous action plan include:

• Mental Health 101 (MH101), a mental health literacy programme

• the Journal, a self-management programme for people with depression

• the Lowdown, a website and text messaging service to help young people understand and deal with mental illness

• the Community Postvention Support Service to support communities responding to suicide

• the Victim Support Initial Response Service for people bereaved by suicide.

A key focus of efforts over the next four years will be on further strengthening links between people and organisations, including families, whānau, communities and agencies. People and organisations need to work together for suicide prevention to be successful.

Is anything else being done to prevent suicide in New Zealand?

There are a wide range of suicide prevention activities in New Zealand. In addition to the new plan, other activities that contribute to suicide prevention include:

The Action Plan is the next step in the Government’s commitment to address New Zealand’s unacceptably high suicide rates. Some existing services and initiatives are very effective, however many are relatively small-scale and are only available in certain locations. A focus of the Action Plan is to expand these services and make them more widely accessible.

Who was involved in the development of the Action Plan?

Eight government agencies worked together to develop the plan, with a range of people and agencies also involved in the plan’s development discussions. This included communities affected by suicide and people who work in suicide prevention.

Does the Action Plan reflect evidence-based best practice in suicide prevention?

Several actions have a strong evidence base, such as training gatekeepers and general practitioners to identify, support and refer people at risk of suicide. The Action Plan will help build the evidence base by:

• strengthen suicide prevention targeted to high risk populations who are in contact with agencies.

How much will suicide rates reduce as a result of implementing the Action Plan?

The Action Plan has been designed to address a range of factors that are associated with suicide. This approach is likely to be effective at reducing rates of suicide as numerous factors influence a person’s decision to take their own life, but it is not possible to say by how much suicide rates are likely to reduce.

What does the Action Plan do to address our youth suicide rate?

Other initiatives are under way to improve the mental health and wellbeing of young people. This includes the Prime Minister’s Youth Mental Health Project which is working to improve the mental health and wellbeing of young people, through a package of 22 initiatives which are being implemented in schools, families and communities, health services and online.

Will the Action Plan address Māori suicide rates?

All actions will be developed in a way that is responsive to Māori who have a higher rate of suicide when compared to other ethnic groups. Efforts to address Māori suicide rates will include strengthening community capacity, networks and leadership, and supporting families and whānau to develop their own responses to suicide risks, and build resilience. Work will also be undertaken to identify what works for Māori to prevent suicide, and to share that knowledge.

How will the Action Plan be funded?

Funding of $25 million over four years has been earmarked for the 30 actions in the plan. This amount includes the $8 million over four years to support communities to prevent suicide as announced by Ministers Dunne and Turia in June 2012.

Is it okay to talk about suicide?

Yes, it is. However, it is important to be mindful of how we talk about suicide, as certain ways of talking about suicide are more helpful than others. Some ways of talking about suicide can have a negative impact. On the other hand, conversation that includes talk about links with mental health problems, how and where to access support and services in the community, where to access online information and support, and sharing personal stories of hope and healing, can be helpful. Such talk can help people feel more supported and can encourage people to seek help earlier.

Where can I get support and help from?

Below is a list of some of the services available which offer support, information and help. All services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week unless otherwise specified.